The Who returned to the stage Thursday night, performing the first of two concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall to benefit Teenage Cancer Trust.
According to setlist.fm, the band blew through plenty of Who hits, including “Who Are You,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “My Generation” and “Baba O’Riley.” They even surprised the crowd with a performance of the Who’s Next song “Love Ain’t for Keeping,” the first time they’ve performed the song since 2004.
Mojo reports that during the show, Pete Townshend revealed he is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
“I had a complete knee replacement four and a half weeks ago,” the 79-year-old Townshend shared. “But because I’m Superman, I’m here! Maybe I should auction off the old one.” He added, “Elton John had one done, and he wears his as a bracelet. Unfortunately, mine’s in three bits.”
And Pete isn’t the only one dealing with ailments. Roger Daltrey, who has been open about his hearing issues, shared that he’s now having trouble with his eyesight.
“The problem with this job is that you go deaf, and now I’ve been told I am going blind,” the 81-year-old told the audience, according to Planet Rock. “Thank God I’ve still got my voice. If I lose that I’ll go full Tommy,” a reference to the “deaf, dumb and blind” main character in The Who’s rock opera Tommy.
The Who returns to Royal Albert Hall for a second and final Teenage Cancer Trust show on Sunday.
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